Maharashtra wants Pimpri Chinchwad name in Smart City Mission list

PIMPRI CHINCHWAD: The state government once again requested the Centre to include Pimpri Chinchwad in the mission for comprehensive development of the Pune metropolitan region on Saturday, a day after India and the United Kingdom signed a pact to develop Pune, Indore and Amravati as smart cities.

"The chief minister has sent a letter to the Union government for considering the inclusion of Pimpri Chinchwad city in the Smart City Mission. We hope the request will be considered," said municipal commissioner Rajeev Jadhav.

The state government had clubbed Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad while selecting 10 cities from the state. The Centre considered Pimpri Chinchwad as the 11th city and deleted it from the list later. However, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had backed his government's decision to list Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad as one entity saying the two neighbouring corporations have many civic services in common and were a part of the same urban agglomeration.

Sticking to his stand, Fadnavis has once again requested the Centre to include the city in the ambitious plan. The general body (GB) also passed a resolution on September 7, 2015, appealing to the state government to include the city in the Smart City project. Two separate delegations from Pimpri Chinchwad met the Union urban development minister Venkaiah Naidu in Delhi on September 9, 2015, and submitted their demand.

Mangala Kadam, ruling party leader in PCMC, said, "We are still hopeful Pimpri Chinchwad will be included as it deserves it."

Sulabha Ubale, group leader of Shiv Sena, said, "We feel the city may not be included now as it is too late."

Amol Deshpande, convener of Pimpri Chinchwad Citizens Forum (PCCF), said, "The Centre had clearly said that joint nominations will not be accepted, but the state still named Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad together. Though we are unsure about Pimpri Chinchwad's inclusion now, there is a glimmer of hope as the Centre has finalized 98 cities with two more cities yet to be nominated. The Maharashtra government should use this time to make a case for Pimpri Chinchwad as the 11th city on the basis of assessment done earlier. This way, people will not feel cheated."

Manav Kamble, president of Nagari Hakka Suraksha Samiti, said, "The state government deliberately excluded Pimpri Chinchwad. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis latest initiative is just a political stunt."